From the ruling National Conference (NC) to the Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and even the BJP, all appear to have joined hands against the proposed Rs 300-crore ropeway project between Katra town and Sanjichhat, en route to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi. Undertaken by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, whose chairperson is Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the project has been facing protests over the “damage” it may cause to local businesses and workers. The protests are led by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti. The unity between political rivals on the issue was on display on Sunday, the fifth day of the Katra bandh called by the protesters. Leaders across party lines addressed protesters at Katra that day, including J&K Deputy Chief Minister and NC leader Surinder Choudhary, BJP MLA Baldev Raj Sharma, NC Jammu province president Rattan Lal Gupta, former minister and senior BJP leader Ajay Nanda, former Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Progressive Azad Party leader Jugal Kishore Sharma, former minister and senior Congress leader Yogesh Sawhney, J&K Congress Sewa Dal chief Vijay Sharma, and former BJP leader Pawan Khajuria, among others. “While development must be appreciated, it should not harm any individual’s livelihood,” said Surinder Choudhary, the Nowshera MLA. Citing the example of Jammu city, which Choudhary said “suffered” due to developmental projects lacking proper rehabilitation plans for affected residents, the Deputy CM said the proposed ropeway project between Tarakote, on the outskirts of Katra, and Sanjichhat could similarly jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands who are dependent on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. Choudhary said that he and Rattan Lal Gupta had been sent to Katra by NC president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. In his speech, the Deputy CM urged leaders to rise above party politics and join hands to address the issue. “Those elected and those not elected, and also those of us – ministers and the Deputy Chief Minister – we all can face these challenges in a united manner, not separately.” He added the issue was not a political one, but about the people of Katra and how their coming generations will make ends meet. While local BJP MLA Baldev Sharma extended his support to the protesters and said the party too stands by them, former minister and senior BJP leader Ajay Nanda questioned the purpose of the proposed ropeway project, saying that such development would “snatch the livelihoods of nearly 40,000 people” instead of creating new jobs. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who met members of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti last month, also extended her support to the protest. “There is a growing and worrying trend of converting sacred pilgrimage sites into commercial tourist attractions. Such decisions risk undermining the spiritual sanctity of these places and alienating the communities that have nurtured and preserved their traditions for centuries,” said Mufti, who urged the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to reconsider its decision on the project. L-G Sinha has called for resolution of the matter through dialogue, saying a four-member high-level committee had been formed for the purpose. The committee comprises former Director General of Police Ashok Bhan, retired judge and former J&K Public Service Commission member Suresh Sharma, shrine board CEO Anshul Garg, and Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) Ramesh Kumar. While assuring the shrine board would take care of the interests of all the stakeholders in Katra, Sinha has claimed the proposed ropeway would not reduce pilgrim traffic on the existing route, pointing out that they would have to visit Niharika in Katra town to buy tickets for the ropeway. Sinha added that the construction of the ropeway was in compliance with the directions of the National Green Tribunal, which asked for a phased withdrawal of mules and horses from the old yatra track, which is being widened and installed with decorative street lights. However, the Sangarsh Samiti appears unwilling to listen until its demands, including the release of 18 protesters, who were detained by police six days ago, and for the ropeway project to be shelved. Katra town, which acts as a base camp for the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Trikuta Hills, receives between 35,000 and 40,000 pilgrims daily from across the country. Though the yatra is continuing as hotels are still providing rooms and in-house restaurant facilities to the guests, pilgrims have begun to bear the brunt of the continued bandh, with the generally busy Katra town deserted, with shops and eateries closed, and mules, pithus and palkiwalas suspending their services. The president of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arun Gupta, attributed the crisis to bureaucrats initiating projects without taking stakeholders into confidence. There are 672 hotels in Katra town alone, he said, adding the number of shops, restaurants, and other establishments are countless. The shrine board’s decision to build the ropeway came at a time when residents were already apprehensive over the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway getting connected to Tarakote instead of Katra town, Gupta said. The L-G, too, has admitted concerns regarding the Katra expressway, adding it could be brought to the notice of the National Highways Authority of India. “If needed, you can talk to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari,” Sinha said.
